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Brixton memories

Here are memories of Brixton and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Brixton or a Brixton photo.

The Town Hall Bells!!!

My grandparents lived opposite the town hall and whenever my younger brother and myself stayed with them the town hall bells used to keep us awake. The clock used to chime every quarter and of course the full chimes on the hour. Oh what memories of Daisy Dormer Court where they lived. I went to infant school in Santley St off the Acre Lane, and lived in Tintern St. Oh such happy memories of times gone by.

Staturday Morning Pictures

My brother and I and friends would all go to the Palladium, we would watch Cowboy and Indian films and we would all boo when the Indians came on. We also saw great cartoons. I think we payed 6 pence. We all sang the Saturday morning song "We are the Boys and Girls " ... and I can't rememember the rest of the words. All I know is I loved going, I would look forward to Saturday morning.

Memories of Greater London

My Memory of Herne Hill

Cross Roads c1951
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My father Frank Clarke was the caretaker at Dorchester Court for many years, and we as a family lived in the bungalow which went with the job. In about 1957-1958 he was given the sack, and a friend of the owner was given his job. We were devastated. We had nowhere to live so my sisters and my mother were sent to a 'rest centre' in Camberwell Green. My father was not allowed there and had to get a bed and breakfast. It was awful. We had to share a room with another family. It was scary and still haunts me now. We eventually moved to 58 Milkwood Road, Herne Hill. I left there when I was 18 to get married. I think our house has been pulled down now.

Manor Farm Dairy - 12 Herne Hill Road SE24

My uncle George Bowen and his wife Rene ran the Manor Farm Dairy out of 12 Herne Hill Road.  According to my mother who would visit them during the holidays - milk was delivered in those days in big churns pushed on a barrow.

The housewives would bring out their jugs and milk was ladled into the jug.  There was only one kind of milk no choice with regard to skimmed or semi-skimmed.  Butter came in big blocks and was put on marble slabs and weighed, it would be shaped and cut up on the marble slabs and shaped into rounds and stamped with a pattern of a cow.

There was a shop attached to the front of the house and Auntie Rene was in charge of that - she sold groceries and there were tables and chairs for refreshments.  A favourite drink in the summer was ice-cold milk with a dash of soda water.

At the back of the shop was an office where the... Read more

Christmas

High Street c1965
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I remember Clapham High Street well.  My mum worked in Lyons Tea Shop that stood next to the bank.  It turned into the butcher shop.  I remember meeting my mum, she would have all left over cakes.  We thought it was great - all the sticky buns and gingerbread men.  It was memories of my childhood.

Playground Apparatuses

Childrens Playground, The Common c1965
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How wonderful to have my memory jogged by the lovely pictures of Clapham Common. After school, most days we (my brother Lance) and my mother would have such fun. We would play spot the park keeper, (always nicely turned out in their brown suits) now sorely missed ! But the playground picture with the 'umberella' in the background(did anybody else call it that ) where you would sit on the ringed seat and hope a bigger child would push you around , backwards and forwards. Didn't you have to hold on for merry hell ! does anybody remember the 'banana boat'? like a enormous sideways swing. If you were really brave you'd sit on the end.Just as it was getting too high for comfort you wish you hadn't been so cocky, when the under part would bump onto the hard tar ground and bounce you several inches off your seat! Or the enormous slide. I remember catching my cardigan on there once, much to the annoyance of the other kids.... Read more

Larkhall Tavern

Childrens Playground, The Common c1965
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My brother used to live in Chelsham Rd. in Clapham, London, which runs from Gauden Rd. to Union Rd.
In 1960 & 1961, I stayed with him for a week's holiday. He was on British Rail at Nine Elms. He has since passed away
He used to drink in the Larkhall Tavern, in Larkhall Rise. I went back there a year ago, but couldn't find the pub. Has anyone got any memories of that area, particularly the pub & Chelsham Rd? I would love to get a photo of the Larkhall Tavern

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